Last we checked, the Utah Jazz have no intentions to trade Lauri Markkanen. His recent explosion during the EuroBasket friendlies served as a good reminder that even if they did, it would take a monster offer for them to even entertain it. That's why trading him to the Pistons, even if it would make sense for him and them, truly doesn't seem like a move the Jazz would make.
BasketNews' Vukašin Nedeljković proposed the following trade between the Jazz and Pistons.
Pistons receive: Markkanen
Jazz receive: Tobias Harris, Isaiah Stewart, 2026 first-round pick, 2027 first-round pick
Note: Per the Ted Stepien rule, the Pistons can't trade consecutive first-round picks. Even if they could, the Jazz wouldn't do this, but more on that later.
It's a given why the Pistons would do this. It's why this possibility has been brought up before. They're coming off their best season since really, the late-2000s. They look the most promising they've been in quite some time, so adding someone like Markkanen, knowing what he can do, could only vault them up higher.
By all accounts, he is perfect for them, as their most pressing need is putting another lethal scorer next to Cade Cunningham for the foreseeable future. Prime Markkanen is that guy, as he's not only a scorer but gives the Pistons so much positional versatility.
The Jazz unlocked Markkanen, and the Pistons could not only help him return to form, but potentially reach a new level for him. But with all of that out there, why would the Jazz make that trade especially after Markkanen made it pretty clear that last season was clearly an outlier bad performance from him?
The Jazz would trade him only if he becomes an albatross contract
Nedeljković explained that Utah would make this trade based on Markkanen's last season with the team and that they would want to get his deal off their payroll.
"Considering Markkanen's massive $43 million deal, if Utah is definitely moving towards a future without Markkanen, this trade could be the best way for them to ease their salary burden," Nedeljković wrote. "At the same time, they would receive solid players and valuable draft picks in return."
That's not a bad explanation for why the Jazz would do that, but they haven't crossed that bridge and it will likely be a while before they do if they do. Also, if Markkanen continues to play at that level, or even worse, next season, why would the Pistons take that risk?
The first signs of what could be to come from Markkanen came from his dominant EuroBasket performances. It's whole different ballgame there than the NBA, but it seems like the Jazz star is playing like he's got something to prove. Utah has every reason to see that through even if their tanking intentions are still clear as day.
The Jazz have never really made Markkanen available, and what he's done lately is all the proof in the world that their best option with him is to have him stay put.